Couch-bed.



F. M. TINKHAM.

COUGH BED.

APPLIOATION FILLED 0OT.22, 1910.

Patented Apr.'25,1911.

ATTORNEY.

F. M. TINKHAM.

l Aconci; BBD.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 22, 1910. y$90,608.

Patented Apr.25,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' LVVE N T 0R,

. WHA/Essig- ATTORNEY.

FRANCIS M. TINKHAM, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

coUc-BED.

Spectloaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1911.

Application tiled October 22, 1910. Serial No. 588,416.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LFnANcis M. TiNKiLtztt, a citizen of the United States of America, lresiding at Springfield. inthe county of' llampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful lin roveinents in Couch-Beds, ot' which the specification. My present invention relates` to improvements in couches the type known as couches in which two movable bed-f'ames are eu'iployed. ,Each of these frames contains a wire or.' other `fabric and they are adapted to be moved into horizontal alinementfone. with the other so that when the movable bed-frames are so arranged the area of the couch is double what it is when folded. The objects o f the invention are,-to providea couch structure in which a fixed or stationary frame is used for receiving one of ,the movable bed-f 'ames that is adapted t0 rise andV fall vertically in the stationary 'traine when the other movable bed-traine .is operated, botlrduring the. opening; and closing operations; to provide means lor rigidly supporting the two movable hed-frames so that they will not accidentally fold a-tt'er beinar opeued;' to provide anti-friction devicesl so that during the opening operation the lied-frame that' is located in the stationary traine is raised from its depressed position `with ver) little mechanical elt'ort; to' provide comici-.tiner means between the ..wo'betl-i`rames so that they are nearly balapced during the. opening and closing operations. l

*lli the drawings forming part of this applicatioti,-Figure `l is a perspective view o one end of the couch showing the bcdframes in open position and clearly illusthe construction for opening and trating the couch. 141g. 2. .is an end elevaclosing)r tioi-i showiuer the two bed-frames nested one I member or i overthe other iu the stationar frame. Fig. :l is a detailed eut elevation of one ol the posts of the tixed frame illus- (rating t-lie means,l for contining the movements ol one of the bed-frames 1n a vertical plane. Figa 4 is a verticaltsectional view of Fig. 3 considered in a vertical plane pass- 'ing through the center portion of the fixed frame.

Referring to thel drawings, a designates, as a whole. the lxed frani e;b the vert-icallv movable lied-traine 1n the fixed frame a; c

'allowing is a,

and more. particularly of I oldablc or extensionl attachedY to the lupright ,member the bed-frame which is connected to the vertically movable bed-frame 'b and is adapted to be extended into the position shown 1n Fig. l so as to be in horizontal alinenient with the traine D.

The ttxed frame (l comprises the usual endframcs ha vino' the upright nieinbersd and e and the sdc-bars fat' the lower portion ot theupright members.-

g designates a brace-barextending transversely thc'tixed frame a and connecting the lower portions of the uprights.

livotally attached to thtl tixed frame a, at al and u"` are two parallel links t, i, their Aupper ends being pivotally connected to the l'rame c at the pointsI j 'and le. These two links are, in etl'eett of parallel ruler construction. Extending longitudinally of the l'raine u is a rock-shaft m, that is pi'votally mounted on the brace-bar y. rhe link i is rigidly connected to this rocker-shaft at'its lower end, as shown at' 0. Secured to the link /t is an ear-piece p, and pivotally attached thereto is the arm y, to the outer end ot which is rigidl) secured a second arm 'i' to which is pivotally secured an arin s that is provided with a roller f at lits outer end. 'l`hea1'iu .v is pivotalt'iv attached to the frame u at s'. This rollert as will be observed by rel'erriug to Fig. l. is located beneath the horiAont-.il weh of the augle-iron u o'lV the, bed-trame o. The arm .v is pivolallv connected at its lower end to the upright ineinlier( ofthe traine (1 b v nie-.itis olt a bracket w,

at the point el. rl`he arm i' is pivotally attat-hed to the arm s at the point a1.

' ltigidly securedto the link 1'. is an arm y, and pivotally attached to this arm is theV link r-.wat the point ii." 'livotzi'lly attached Ito the opposite end of the link at the point 4 is an armii which is rigidly secured to the swinging member l, -the upper end ot' which is provided with a roller T which, like the roller l` is adapted to engage the under side et the 'horizontal web of the angle-iron 'u ol the '-raiiic I. The member t3 is pivotally d at the of the/,strapiron 9,`the

i is attached to 'the uppoiiit 8 by mear'. lower end ol'i wl'n right d.

The rix-k-shaftj'm. is provided with a pair of oppositely extending arms ni, 'nr-' spi-ing;- ltl is att-ached to the arm m at one end, audits opposite end is attached to a brace-bar l) which is secured to the upright; member (I and the bar 13 designates a second spring, one end of which is attached to the arm m2 'and its outer end t a bracket 14 on the upright membe l e of the frame il. These springs are for tlg, purpose of assisting the o erator in raising andlowering the frame c uring the closing and opening operations. 15 and 16 designate the brace-rods that 'by means of the short, cylindrical members 18, A

Secured to the angle-ironia is a right-angled piece 19 .fha-ving an outwardly extending 'end 20 which moves 4in the s ace between clearly shown in Fig. 1.

the upright fand the strips o' iron 17, as

The bed-frame c 1s provided with longitu#A dinalbrace-bars 21 and 22, the bar 22-being provided with a sufpportng leg,23which receives theweight o t e framecwhen in an extended position. The inner end of the angleviron 24 of the frame c rests on the angleiron-u of the frame c when opened,.`as shown at 25. A' lifting or operating hand1e26 isv attached to the angle-iron24 of the frame c and when the operator lifts upward on this handle, when the frame c is open, the parallel linksh and 'will 4move from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2, and the frame b will gradually be depressed to the position shown in Fi 2.

The weight of the elevate bed-frame b is borne by the arms a and 6 which position rollers t. and 7, at their upper ends, en age the under side of the horizontal web o the angle-iron u. A'

4In the lowermost position of the'frame Z, the upturned ends 20 rest'upon the c lindricalmembers 18 at the lower end o the space between the elements 17 and the up; rights of the fixed frame.

The framev c, when in folded position as shown in ig. 2, is su portedv by means of the linksl h and i and the leg 23.`

. In or /rto o en -the couch, the operator lifts on the be -frame c by means of the handle 26. The irst upward movement thereof elevates this arm with the link members hand i, which, in turn, cause the .arms s and with their rollers t and 7 to simultaneously move upward an'd engage the horizontal .web off/the angle-iron inember'u of the frame b. At this int inthe opening operation, the weight of the bed-frame c is thrown ronto thebed-frame b serving to' assist the operatoria elevating .the Aframe b.

The moment the operator cmmenees to lift the frame c, the spring 10, through the rm m1 and the rock-shaft m,- assists the lierator in raising the frame-c. When the the spring 13 on the opposite side of the rock-shaft m is placed under tensile stress to assi 4f.the operator lin closing the conch. -Afte'rA 'e frame b has reached its uppermost position, as shown in Fig. 1, the weight of tlie saine is carried bythe arms s and '6, the lower ends of which, as stated above, are' pivotally connected with the main frame a and standyin'almost a vertical ,position (sco Fig.` 2:.1

The outwardly bent ears 20 serve, in afldition to the arms s andV 6,'to prevent any lateral movement of the bed-f`rame b during its rising and falling movements, and 'also 1t 1s o ned.

It ould be particularly bornein mind gage the lower side Aof the-horizontal web -of the anglefironu of the bedframe b,

wherebyy the opposite edges of this frame are maintalned in a-horizontal position.

27 is a foot-rest, as shown in Fig. 1, which is attached to the brace-bar g, the 'operator placinghisfoot thereon during the opening and closing operation inorder to stead the frame a on the floor and4 prevent its ro ling.

posite end s ofthe couch are provided with an operatln pair of movable bed-frames, of a fixed ing confined -to a vertical movement in thel fixed fra-me, 'parallel lever connections' between the movable bed-frames for causing one of the frames to'have an upward movment while the other falls, a rocker-shaft to which one of the lever connections is secured,

Shaft and the bed-frame which has a verti' cal movement.'

2. Ina couch-bed, the combination with a ixcd Amain frame, of "movable bed-frames adapted to be placed in horizontal alin levershavng pivotal'eonnec'tions at tl'eir ends between the fixed frame and one of he movable bed-frames, means associated with for causing 4said other frame to rise an'd fall in a vertical plane when the frstmovable bed-frame is operated, and antifriction de- -vices for lessening the effort for operating a rock-shaft in the main frame and link connections between the shaft and the vertically movable frame. f-

3. Iii-a foldable couch having imcombination a. pair of confining one ofthe bed-frames of the couch to a vertical plane' during the ,opening and latter is vcarried over into the open position,`

that'the rollerst and 7 simultaneously eu- 1. In a couch-bed, the combination4 with a y' drame, one 'bf the movable bed-frames be.

and link connectionsv between the rocker-- the levers'and .the other .movable bed-frame.

the movable frame that is inthe fixed frame, l

sol

prevent any danger of the'couch closing after It should also he understood that the opg1 mechanism like that already described w ich is operated by the roekent,

bid-frames, a fixed 'frame for closing operations, adapted to operate the vertically movable vated,

a second bed-frame bed-frame, means for substantially balancing the weight of the two bed-frames during the opening and closing movements of the couch comprising a rock-shaft, linkconnections between the shaft and one of the bed-frames, and arms operable from the link connections which engage the other bed-frame.

,4. In' a couch-bed, the combination with a pair of bed-frames adapted to be moved into a horizontal plane when in open osition and into two parallel horizontal p anes when in another position, of a fixed frame for confining the movements of one of the frames during the opening and closingoperations to a vertical direction, a pair of link members attached to the'ixed frame and one of the frame members, arm elements associated with thelink members, antifriction rollers on tliempper ends of the arm elements, said elements being so arranged that they in an open position, and conneetiiur means between, the -link members and tiearm elements.

V5. A couch-bed having in 'combination a main-framev and two bed-frames, one of the frames being connected to the main frame by link members, a pair of supporting arms -pivotally attached to the main frame for supporting the other bed-frame when ele and connecting means between the two frames for causing the same to move in unison when opening' and means including arm elements operable from the link members whereby the weight other so as to assist'in lifting the bed-frame to an open osition.

(3. A fol able couch comprising a fixed frame having supporting uprights, a pair of bed-frames, strips secured to the uprights and spaced ltherefrom, one of the bedframes, during its opening and closing operations being guided b f the strips, link connections between the lied-frames for simultaneously operating the same when moved into then' o )en or closed positions. Y

TIA cauclh-bed comprising a main frame,

support one of the frames whenclosing, and i of one of the frames is transmitted to the [bed-frames adapted to be nested into the main frame, means for movingfthe bedframes intoV a. 'couch-bed is o n, and into two horizontal planes when t e bed isclosed and nested 1n the main frame, arm supporting devices for one ofthe bed-frames when open, a rockshaft, an arm connected thereto, and a'link between the a m and the arm-supporting l devices.

8. A convertible couch-bed having in coin-V bination a main frame,a air of'bed-frames adapted to be nested in t e same when the bed is closed, and in the same plane when open, a pair of links' connected to the main frame and one of. the bed-frames, arms attached to the main frame for supporting,

the other bed-frame when in an elevated I, position in the main frame, and link connections betxveen I supportiug'arms.

9. A convertible couch-bed having in coml bination a mam frame, a pair of bed-frames adapted to be nested -in the same when theA bed i's clsed, and' iufthe same plane when open, a pair of links iinected to themain frame and one of the bed-frames, arms attached to the main frame for sup orting the other bed-frame when in an elevated position in the main frame, and linkV con- 1 ncctions between the pair o'f links and the supporting arms, one of the frames having i its inner edge resting on an edge of the other when in an elevated position. I l0. A convertible couch-bed having in combination, a ina-in -frame, a pair of bed-4 frames adapted to be nested therein when the bed is closed and in the same plane when horizont-a1 plane when the.

the pair of links and theI during the opening movements, links between the main frame and the other frame,

arms operated therefrom during the open` Il open, means on the main frame for guiding 1 mg operation to lift the vertically movable bcd-frame and to support the same when the tvo bed-frames are. open and in the same plane, substantially as described.

'FRANCIS *I TINKHAM. l Witnesses:

HARRY W.- BOWENL W'ir. H. CHAPIN. 

